The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1887-04-01
RAILWAY PROJECTS.
THE NARROW GAUGE MAY YET
BE A THROUGH LINE.

AehAA w A AsWV nv sos
THE MARROW GAUGE MAY We
BE A THROUGH LINE.
What the purchase of tho Valley Mi
Propery Means Wilmingt an
Brat'leDoro May Yet ba on Throug
Line.
The real purchasers of The Valley Mill pror
erty were made known yesterday, and as wa
generally surmised they arc New Londo
Northern RAILROAD folks. Geo Dowley di
tho business, acting for 4 + Brooks, and N
Brooks is the agent OF the Central vernon
and the New London Northern interests.
The Now London folks Of course furnis
tho money, are the real purchasers, an
the deed goes TO them. The otj,ct Is some
what Of an alternative nature. In case thei
present alliance with the Central Vermont con
tinues nothing may be done, or the propert.
may be used, by the building of a new bridge
blasting and earth cutting to let In the narrov
guage independent Of the Vermont Valley road
! and run the track down on the west side OF tn
derot. There has been moro or less talk amonl
| tho railroad managers OF doing this for SOM
time, and the development OF the granite quarry
business at West Dummerston may be such a.
to neces state the laying Of broad guage track
between here and there. The bridge wrecked
last summer is being built Of broad guage ca
pacity 20 as to be equal to any such demand.
But 1t is not likely that the narrow guaQe
business, in its present status, sinking money
every year, would DO enough to warrant such
investments. But the New London Northern
lease to the Central Vermont expires in about
four years and 1t is not generally believed in
railroad circles that it will he rer ewed II IL il
not, tho New London folks will be entirely al
the mercy of the Central Vermont and the
Connecticut River roads as regards the north.
ern and western traffic. The Central would
naturally divert all 1t could by way Of its New
HAMPSHIRE connections, and the Connecticut
River by its line and connections south OF here.
The New London would therefore be forced to
find some way to reach western connections.
otherwise Its purchase Of the 81 miles between
here and Mil.ers Falls would be waste, and it
could be depended on to make broad 0uage
Of the Brstleboro g. Londonderry road and
10 push 1t through to Whitehall or Rutlsni.
1t IS believed that entirely practicable
grades could be found by swinging round
further to thu north than was proposed
when the Brat,leboro g. Whitehall road was
surveyed. 1t is certain that the Rutland road
might have avoided sinking vast amount
when il was built by changing its survey only
few miles.
With this view the New London Northern's
capture OF the narrow gauge property was
far sighted move, and in this and in no other
way can the building CT such largo bridge
and the purchase OF the Valley mill property
be explained.
1t it needless to say that such railroad de-
velopment would be a big thing for Brattle.
boro, and central and eastern Windham coun
ty. 1t would insure us two independent lines
from the west into the town, and in such
strife of business it is impossible to believe
that the Connecticut river would be con-
tent to be under the disadvantage of
running over 10 miles of the New London
Northern track from here to South Vernon,
when the building of six miles to Hinsdalc
would give them complete and continuous
lines and connections from Chicago and Cana
da to New York. Still it is always unsafe tc-
calculate on the Connecticut RIVER getting
round to do anything while there is chance.
Another project for combination of pieces
OF lines and of connecting new road is under
consideration by the New Haven and North.
ampton, Boston and Lowell and Central Mas.
sachusets roads, and Boston, Hoosac Tunnel
and Western roads. though its success Is con-
tingent on the failure Of the negotiations for
the purchase Of the latter line by the Fitch
burg. II the terms offered by the Boston,
the Fitchburg it will certainly fall through;
II not it may BIO done though the Boston Globe
the scheme as absurd. An item
in the Springfield Republican Monday said
'The promised activity on the Hoosac Tunnel
and Readsboro railroad, owned by Newton
Bros OF Holyoke, creates much interest. 1t is
to be wideped to the standard gauge to Recads.
boro, and the line extended from II ,adsboro to
Wilmington, and North Adams people think
they see scheme to get railroad over the
Green mountains to Bratteboro where people
have long wanted an outlet to the tunnel. An
interview with Daniel H Newton OF Holyoke
last evening indicates that the scheme is a good
deal bigger than that, though not including
the Bratteboro connection; in short that it |
means western outlet for the Central Massa-
chusetts ,over the mountains north of the tuu
nell" The plan 10 to use the Canal extension
from Northampton to Dardwell's station, then
crossing tbs D.ert,ld river. to build a new
road along the north bank for 20 miles, passing |
through Shelburne Fails, Z ,st Charlemont and |
Charlcr'ont to the Hoosac Tunnel and Reads. |
boro railroad. Newton Brothers OF Holyoke |
who own this road. II miles long to r .ads-
boro, are willing to enter into the scheme and |
are already widening their track for a through |
posed t. extend the road five miles farther to |
Hartwellyile, and thence IA miles to the east. |
ern terminus OF the Boston, Hoosac Tunnel |
and Western road, few miles west OF North |
Adams, forming loop around the mountain |
and folio wing valleys where the grading |
would be comparatively easy A line has al
ready been surveyed from Hartwellvie to !
North Adams, but the new Tide will ran west |
Of histhrough more level territory, and SO as
to accommodate mill owners along the route.
The plan would require the building Of
forty miles OF new track, and the widen |
ing OF Newton Brothers road for ten mites. |
II this route were adopted 1t would not only |
give the enterprisinR towns along the northern |
bank of the Deerfeld river close railroad facii-s
tiles, but would open the lumber regions OF |
Vermont around Nottingham, Dover, vii. |
and Somerset. Many experts think
that 1t was mistake to build the state road on |
the south side of the Deerfield river. Newton
Brothers, " no built the narrow guage Reads
boro road to accommodate their pulp mills in
hat vicinity, are glad enough to take hand in
the deal and spend the 100000 necessary to |
bring their tracks to the standard guage. The
new route has been substantially agreed upon
by all three lines, the talk regarding it is car
daye, and, without attempting to secure char
ter, the roads have decided to build the line IN.
der the general railroad laws, provided they
build it all. The impetus OF the entire project
comes from the Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and
Western road, they offering to furnish the two
Or three millions of capital necessary to build
the new line. President Smith of the Boston,
Hoosac Tunnel and Western road Is determined
to get an outlet, either through or around the
Hoosac Tunnel, at once to carry out his plans
for western consolidation. His road from Du
luth, 400 miles across Wisconsin to Sault St
Marie, is being rapidly built, and with the Pills.
burys and other st Paul flour kings, whose
road from St Marie is also under way, an ar
has been made for a through line
over the CanaC ian road to BrockvIlle, Ont,
thence across the head of the st Lawrence and
down the Black river valley to Utica, N Y.
President Smith Is prepared to extend the Bos.
ION, Hoosac Tunnel and Western from its west
to Utica, thus making through
line to Boston and opening up Canadian wheat
markets as well as those in the northwestern
states by a northern route and avoiding the
heavy tolls imposed by lines centeriDe in Chi
ago.